What You Have To
by BelovedSlayer
Summary: Four years after their last dance, the End of Days has passed, and Angel returns. But is he staying…for good? Sequel to The End.


**Author's Notes: Although this story takes place after the events from End of Days, it is entirely AU. Hope you like!  
**

She stood on top of the now permanently sealed Hellmouth with her Gang and army of Slayers rallying behind her, a cry of victory roaring from her lungs that had befallen the silent night. The full moon above was eclipsed with a maroon color that resembled the finest aged wine and the End of Days was now, in what she had hoped to be, over. She had fought the intense battle and came out as the victorious successor.

For now, The First was history. Bodies upon bodies of fallen demons were left scattered throughout the disarrayed town, their life force had been relentlessly taken from the hands of the Slayer, the rightful Champion. For that moment alone, despite everything, she beamed with pride of being a warrior, and for saving the world, once again. She had succeeded, and she had made the Powers proud.

On the outside, she had smiled, but in her deepest heart of hearts, something was still amiss. Something, or most noticeably, _someone, _that she had wanted standing by her side, joining her fight against the First, and its' army but had sent away. And he was still not there. She had to charge into the mission alone, without her Champion, companion, warrior, and lover.

"B, you alright?" Her fellow sister Slayer Faith asked in concern. Trails of dried blood coated her hands and bare arms.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just wish that…," Buffy answered wistfully, but Faith finished the answer for her. "That Angel was here? Yeah, I gotta feeling that you wanted him to," Faith grinned, despite her serious injuries, which not excluded to, included several broken ribs and a separated shoulder.

"Dunno. Maybe it's because he's really here. Check it out," Faith pointed in the opposite direction, by where Sun Cinema was located. Underneath the movie theater stood a flickering shadow that Buffy was all too familiar with. But he was not alone. Standing beside either side of him were two beings dressed in white togas, their bodies filming with gold and blue streaks.

Buffy had heard about them once. Somehow, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Until her eyes widened. "Buffy, are you okay?" her best friend Willow repeated the question, placing a gentle hand on the Slayer's shoulder. "The Oracles," were her only reply, as she locked eyes with the one man that she had thought would never see again. Without paying attention to her friends or her comrades, Buffy immediately dropped her Scythe and ran towards Angel, but was quickly stopped by the two beings.

"Stop right there Slayer," the female Oracle held up her hand, preventing Buffy from reaching ten feet from where Angel was standing. His lips were pursed, although a word didn't escape from him. It was not his place to inform Buffy of his newly gained humanity.

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks, her hazel eyes glistening. She shrugged her shoulders, expecting the worst. "What is this now? Some new trick to take Angel away from me? Is this the Powers' doing? That we can't be together even though I just defeated the First? That _we_ just defeated it?"

The brother and sister Oracles looked at each other in confusion, before the sister spoke. "What makes you think that Slayer? You proved your worth, time and time again by saving the world. You deserved to be rewarded for your continuous efforts to defeat the evil. You made the Powers proud. You are a true Champion, as is Angelus. As a final reward to you both, due to the sacrifices you were willing to make in order to save the world, including that which is love, we have decided to reward Angel making true which is the Shanshu Prophecy. He is to be made human. No curses, no vampire with a soul. He is to be one with a beating heart. Along with his comrades, he had defeated the Circle of the Blackthorn. And now, he is yours, Slayer."

Buffy opened her mouth, then quickly shut it, beyond stunned. Tears sprang to her eyes, and the beating in her chest began to pick up speed. After the years of constantly dreaming of Angel becoming human, it was about to transpire. Or so it had.

She didn't know how to give thanks, but somehow, the Oracles had read her mind. "A thank you is not needed Slayer. We created your reward, and now you shall have it. He has been made human already. Go to him," The brother Oracle insisted without his usual snipe. Ignoring them, Buffy ran against the arms of Angel, wrapping itself around her waist as the tears in her eyes finally shed onto the concrete street. Happiness and yearning filled her.

"Missed me?" Angel grinned, placing light, feathery kisses on top of her head. "You bet I did. I never thought I'd see you again. Not after last time," she admitted, gazing into his warm, chocolate eyes. "I know. That was stupid of me, but you know I only did that so you could have some semblance of a normal life. You needed something that was not part of the darkness. It wasn't what I had wanted for you."

Buffy pressed her head against his chest, sighing in admittance. "I know. And I'm not angry at you. Not anymore. I guess it was something I needed after all, but I was too blind to see it at the time. I didn't want to lose you." With that she peered into his eyes, cupping his warm, flushed face gently.

"I know," he sighed, before pressing his lips gently against hers. In a matter of moments, those kisses became as passionate as the flame of white hot fire that burned. It seeped into their battle-hardened souls, warming them to the touch. They hadn't noticed that the Oracles had disappeared in their mist.

Their kiss ended, their bodies desperate for air. "I guess you really did miss me, huh?" Buffy teased, a smirk forming in her lips. "Too long," Angel admitted, before they resumed the kissing. And then, the Slayer stopped, wanting to do the one thing that had haunted her dreams each night.

She placed a small hand directly on Angel's chest. Despite it being covered with a few layers of clothing, she felt the distinct beating. The beating of his heart. She smiled.

"And I feel your heart beat. Just like the first time," Buffy grinned. Angel's eyes widened, wondering if she remembered, but didn't utter a word. He was here, back home, where he belonged.

"Stay with me?"

"Forever. That's the whole point."

And they held onto each other, looking up at the now silver glow of the full moon, hands entwined. Tomorrow they would start their first day as being a normal couple.

Fin.


End file.
